Flowers Blooming In The Church
by Nicky
Summary: Cloud and Aeris are about to get married, but they run into a big problem first. With the help of their friends, can they make it?
1. Default Chapter Title

Flowers Blooming In The Church- Part 1

A Cloud and Aeris Romance

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Squaresoft. This takes place after the game. Sephiroth is dead, and somehow, he never killed Aeris. Cloud and Aeris are about to get married.

"This is fun,, Cloud. I owe you one."

"Nah, it's no problem, Aeris. Cause you're my fiancée, and you know I love you. Soon we'll share everything in our lives, and there will be no debts to each other."

"Wow, since when were you into making speeches, Cloud Strife?"

"Ever since I met you, Aeris Gainsborough."

Cloud and Aeris were at Gold Saucer, racing Chocobos while they discussed their wedding, which was to take place in a week at Aeris' church in the slums.

"So, who are we inviting again?" asked Cloud.

"Definitely all of our friends," replied Aeris.

"I swear, if Cid and Barret get drunk together, and somehow manage to mess up the wedding, I will kill them..." Cloud trailed off.

"Don't worry, Cloud, everything will go perfectly. Hey, i don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty tired. Should we go to bed now?"

"Sure thing, Aeris, " said Cloud, smiling. "Anything that makes you happy."

They walked out of the Chocobo racing section of Gold Saucer, and jumped into the tube which would take them to the Haunted Hotel. They got out holding hands, and began to climb the long flight of stairs which would lead them to the entrance of the hotel.

"So, what are we gonna do tomorrow, Cloud?" inquired Aeris.

"Sleep in," murmured Cloud against her neck. Aeris giggled, and Cloud laughed back. They burst through the doors in a whirlwind of laughter, and walked up to the counter to where they could check in for the night. A man hanging from a noose greeted them.

"So...how many rooms would you like, sir?" asked the dead man.

Cloud glanced over at Aeris before he responded. "One, please."

"And how long will you be staying, sir?"

"Only a night."

"That will be 300 gil, please. First room on the right, and enjoy your stay."

Cloud and Aeris clasped hands as they climbed yet another flight of stairs. Right before they entered their room however, Cloud scooped up Aeris in his arms. Then he kicked the door open and collapsed with Aeris onto the bed.

"Man, was that fun, Cloud. You know..."

"What?" asked Cloud.

"I wonder what my life would have been like if I had never met you. Would i still be this happy? Would I have met Barret, Tifa, and the others?"

"I'm sure you would have. I know what you mean though., I've thought about that too. Would I have still been the arrogant jerk I used to be? Not caring about the Planet or anyone or anything?"

"I don't know, and I'm too tired to care now. Good night, Cloud."

"Good night, Aeris, my love, my fiancée. I can't wait until we're married."

"Neither can I."

Aeris closed her eyes, and within minutes, had fallen asleep. Cloud watched her for a while, before he too fell asleep.

In the morning, they woke up early, and since they had been lucky at the Chocobo games the previous day, decided to blow some of their money at Wonder Square. Aeris liked the Mog game, while Cloud preferred to show off his snowboarding skills on the snowboarding simulator. They won even more money in the end, and they went to go cash it in. With his winnings, Cloud got a beautiful jade and glass bead bracelet, which he promptly gave to Aeris. With Aeris's winnings, she gave Cloud a new sword.

They got bored, though, and eventually decided to leave Gold Saucer, and head back to where the others were staying, at Midgar in the slums. According to Cloud, they were all staying around Seventh Heaven, Tifa's bar, and he reckoned Cid and Barret had gotten drunk while waiting for them to return.

Cloud and Aeris had just walked out of Corel, or what remained of it, when the sound of a helicopter's blades distracted them. Startled, the couple looked up, and saw a Shinra helicopter heading their way.

"Run, Aeris, run! I'm not going to let them catch you a second time."

"Don't worry about me, Cloud, I can take care of myself. Just run."

They ran, but several Shinra guards jumped out and trapped them. There was a pause, and then the Shinra President stepped out and walked up to the pair. "Well, well, well. Who do we have here? The infamous Cloud Strife and the last remaining Ancient. My, my, what a find."

Cloud spat on Rufus. "Drop dead, asshole." Aeris remained silent.

Suddenly, before either Cloud or Aeris could react, Rufus darted forward, grabbed Aeris, and pulled her back with him, keeping her glued to his side.   
"And if you try to kill me, Strife, I'll kill her." With these words, he pulled out a dagger and pressed it against her neck. Cloud shouted something unrecognizable and started to rush Rufus, but when he pressed the dagger harder against her neck so that a few droplets of blood appeared, he stopped dead in his tracks. Rufus started to back up into the helicopter.

"Looks like you'll have to come get the Ancient again, Strife." The helicopter blades started to spin again, and the helicopter hovered above the ground.

"No! Aeris!" Cloud screamed as hot tears poured from his eyes and cascaded down his cheeks.

"CLOUD! I'LL COME BACK! DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME!"

"Aeris!"

The helicopter lurched, and Rufus pulled Aeris back inside the helicopter. The door slammed shut, and the helicopter sped away into the clouds. Cloud fell to his knees, unable to believe that his beloved had been taken away from him. He regained his senses, though, and he immediately began to run back to Midgar.


	2. Default Chapter Title

Cloud began to run back to Seventh Heaven, Tifa's bar, as fast as he could. All the while, memories ran through his head.

Cloud smiled softly as he remembered on his birthday, when Aeris had coordinated a surprise birthday party for him. There had been cake and alcohol (of course), and afterwards, when he had gone to bed, there had been a box on his bed. Aeris was sitting next to it. He'd opened it, and the gift had been a dozen red roses. The card said, I love you Cloud. Happy Birthday. Then they'd kissed again, and Cloud told her that the feeling was mutual, that he loved her too.

Cloud blinked, and the memory disappeared. He was approaching Midgar now, the remains of the Shinra Headquarters clearly visible as they towered over Midgar. The gates were empty, and no guard was on watch, so he just ran on inside.

Cloud passed through the market and had another flashback of when he and Aeris had to sneak into Don Corneo's mansion. It was for women only, the mansion, so they had to smuggle Cloud inside. Somehow, Aeris got the idea of dressing Cloud up like a girl. After going to the dressmaker's shop, the woman there said they'd have to find her father, who was the tailor. They found him and got a dress. But then Aeris said he needed a wig. So they went down to the gym, and Cloud had to do squats against Big Bro. Cloud won and he got the wig. Finally, Cloud's outfit was complete, and they eventually got into the mansion, where they found and rescued Tifa, only to wind up in a sewer.

Cloud exited the market, and began running towards the bar again, but then he had a sudden change of heart. He stopped, looked around, and instead headed for Aeris' house, where her mother Elmyra lived. She should be the first to know. Cloud passed the curtain of ivy surrounding a stone entrance, and Cloud knew that after he got through another market, which was just around the corner, he'd be at her house.

Cloud ran through the market, only slowing down when he passed a hollow tube which held a sick man, or at least it had when he and Aeris had last been here. Cloud stopped in front of it, and decided to stop inside briefly. To his surprise, there was no one inside, only a young mother and her child occupied the tube. Cloud looked at her for a moment before leaving and heading for the market exit, which would take him directly to Aeris' house.

Cloud turned the corner, and there, sitting by a forest and a garden, stood Aeris' house. Cloud looked at it, but wasn't really looking at it at all. H was having yet another flashback. This time, he remembered when they came here after Aeris had been taken by the Shinra, and AVALANCHE had gone to tell Aeris' mother. After everyone had gone to bed, she'd asked Cloud if he would leave during the night, and he said yes. After he'd left though, he'd found Aeris waiting for him by the ivy entrance. She wasn't happy. Then they'd left, but wound up by the pillar, where they saw the Shinra attacking it. Cloud had gone up, and had found Barret up on top. They'd beaten two Shinra members, but the pillar exploded, killing everyone in the sector.

Cloud took a deep breath, gathered up his courage, and stepped in to Aeris' house. He didn't see Elmyra there, and he was about to leave, when a noise behind him made him spin around. It was Elmyra. Cloud struggled to say the words, that Aeris was gone, but nothing came out. Elmyra seemed to understand him, though.

"She's gone, isn't she?" Elmyra asked.

Cloud couldn't say the words, so he just nodded.

"It was only a matter of time, you know," Aeris' mother said.

"It was my fault she was taken by the Shinra!" Cloud burst out.

"Why?"

"Because...I'm her fiancé. I was supposed to protect her."

"Then tell me how she was taken, and you'll see it wasn't your fault."

So Cloud told her, and Elmyra told him again that it wasn't his fault, and this time he believed her.

"Well, I guess I kinda gotta go. I have to go to Tifa's bar and tell the others. Say a prayer for us, will you?"

"Of course I will, darling. Now go tell the others, and then go and get my daughter back. I'm looking forward to your wedding."

"Okay." And Cloud rushed out, desperate to get to Seventh Heaven as fast as he could.


	3. Default Chapter Title

Cloud ran into the sector where Tifa's bar was, saw the Seventh Heaven, and burst through the front door. Everyone whirled around to stare at him.

"What the..." uttered Vincent.

"Cloud, what are you doing here? What's wrong?" asked his childhood friend Tifa.

Cloud raised his head, and to their shock, they saw tears running down his face. The cold, hard Cloud Strife was crying, of all things.

"Whoa. Cloud, what's up?" said Red X111.

"She's...gone. The Shinra...took her...from me again..." was all Cloud could say.

"What the hell? Who did they take this time?" cried Cid.

"Think!" said Tifa. "Aeris. His fiancé."

"Aw, man, not again!" complained Barret. "Goddamn Shinra, always doing stuff like this! We gotta go and get her back. Cloud, you lead us."

"Fine. Who's coming with me, in the main party? Everyone else can be the back-up group," said Cloud, having finally regained his composure.

"Foo' Spike! Me, of course! And maybe that lab specimen who's always sulking over in that corner," said Barret.

"I'll come if you want me to, Cloud. Only if you want me to." said Red X111.

"Of course. That leaves Tifa, Vincent, Cait Sith, Yuffie, and... Cid. You guys will be the back- up team."

"Gee, thanks," muttered Vincent.

"Okay, move out!" shouted Cloud.

"Move out? What kind of screwy thingy for you to say, Spike? You be a wussy sayin' that! Try 'Let's go!', or somethin' like that," complained Barret.

"All right, all right. Let's go! Better?" he asked Barret.

"Fine."

They all left he bar, except for Cloud, who called back to the others. "Hang on a sec! Cid, we need the Highwind, so I guess we need to bring you."

"Okay!" And so Cid left with the others, leaving a disappointed group of three behind.

They got on the Highwind, but they flew around aimlessly while they discussed what their strategy would be. Cloud had holed himself in a spare room, leaving the others to talk freely up on deck.

"Man, I wonder what this will do to Cloud," said Red X111.

"Aw, why are you guys worryin' about, Spike? He'll be fine!"

"Barret, this is like when you lost your wife, and nearly lost Marlene. This is what it's like to Cloud. The love of his life is gone, just like yours. Only Cloud has a chance to get his back."

"'Kay, I stand corrected," mumbled Barret.

"I sure hope we find her soon. I can't wait to kick some Shinra ass!" shouted Cid. "You gonna help me, Barret?"

"Sure." said Barret.

Just then, Cloud appeared from down below. The rest of the group was silent as he walked to the rail circling the deck, and leaned on it. He sighed and let the wind blow through his spiky blond hair that (for once in his life) wasn't glued down with gel. Once again, tears poured down his face as he wondered what he was going to do about getting his fiancée back.

"Cloud," said Barret.

"What?"

"You...gonna be okay, man?"

"I have to be. I can't go nuts right when I'm in the middle of getting Aeris back, can I?"

"Good point. Well, Spike, just know...that we're all here for you."

"Thank you, Barret. I appreciate. If you don't mind, I'm going to go down now. Call me when the food is ready. Cid, is that okay with you?"

"Sure," said Cid.

"Thanks." Cloud headed for the door leading to the passenger rooms. He made a left, and entered his room. There he dropped on the bed on his back, and just stared at the ceiling.

'I will get you back, Aeris,' he thought. 'That I promise. After all, I swore to be your bodyguard, so long ago. Do you still remember? When I promised I would guard your life with my own, and swore to protect you from everything evil. I did, and I will. I'm coming for you, so don't give up.' Cloud sighed again as he rolled over, closed his eyes, and fell into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Default Chapter Title

There was a knock at Cloud's door. He jumped out of bed, startled by the noise. "Who is it?" he asked.

"Jus' me," said Barret. "Cid wants everyone up on the deck. He finally came up with a plan to rescue Aeris. So get yer ass up on deck!" Barret finished and walked away.

Cloud got out of his room and went up the deck, where everyone was waiting for him. Amazingly, so were Tifa, Yuffie, Cait Sith and Vincent.

"Wha...what are you guys doing here?" asked Cloud.

Vincent smirked. "The authoress, of course."

"Oh."

"Listen up everyone!" shouted Cid. "I've got a plan to get Cloud back his fiancé. So hear me through. We'll take the road you guys used when you escaped from the Shinra Headquarters. He indicated a map. "This is the one, right?"

"Yep," said Red X111.

"Gee, how long did it take you to come up with this plan, Cid?" sneered Yuffie.

"Ah..." he stammered.

"I thought so."

"Anyway, " said Cid as he regained himself. "You guys, the back-up team, can wait on the ship. We'll call for you if we need you, okay?" The back-up team quickly and quietly left the room. "As for the rest of you, you can do whatever you want until I say we attack, Okay?" Dismissed!"

No one moved.

"Shut up, Cid," said Barret finally. Only then did everyone leave.

Cid and Barret moved into the corner and started talking about what they were going do to and wear at Cloud's wedding. Red X111 just prowled the bridge and snarled at everyone. Unfortunately, Cid's and Barret's voices echoed throughout the bridge, and since the wedding was still too painful for Cloud to talk or listen to, he left the bridge and headed for his room again. Cloud reached his room, and had no sooner touched the doorknob, when Cid came over the P.A. system.

"Get moving, everyone! SHINRA'S SPOTTED US!!"

Everyone jumped into action. The main group equipped themselves in case they should get into any fights, and the back up team was put on stand by. The main group all met at the exit to the Highwind, and when they all got there, they looked at Cloud, waiting for their directions.

"Uh...oh, yeah," said Cloud as Barret glared at him. "Let's go!"

They jumped out of the door and ran down the road, desperately hoping tht they would succeed in rescuing Aeris from the Shinra.


	5. Default Chapter Title

Aeris' POV

Aeris stared up at her captor in disgust as she was hauled from the helicopter in a rough manner. She was led into the Shinra Headquarters, but instead of having to go see the president, she was taken down to the very bottom of the building. There, she was thrown in to a jail cell, and the door was locked. She could hear her captors laughing as they walked away. She threw herself at the bars, but al she did was hurt herself so bad that she passed out.

When she woke up, there was a single bucket of water and some shit that couldn't even pass for dog food, it looked so bad. But she ate a little of it anyways. The she lay on the bundle of rags which had been placed in the corner, and thought about what she was going to do. While she thought, the idea that Cloud might not come for her crossed her mind. What if he broke the wedding and decided to marry Tifa instead? Did he still care about her? It sounded stupid to her, but the thought did come to her. Then she wondered what her life would be like without him. She sighed, and fell asleep again, her thought resting solely on Cloud.

When she woke up, and had eaten her meager food and drunk the now dirty water, she decided she wasn't going to take any more of this crap, especially from the Shinra. So she reached into her pocket to she what she could use to escape. Her staff was useless because the cell bars were metal. She went through the items in her head, mentally checking them off if they weren't any good. Finally, she found her metal nail file. She could saw through the lock!

She did just that. After making sure the coast was clear, she began to saw at the lock. Then, finally, after a few hours, it gave way. She sighed, gave a quick prayer to the heavens above, as well as the spirits, and ran out of the cell, searching for a way out of the building.

She found one, a side exit in the basement that, to her surprise and joy, wasn't guarded. 'The Shinra are slipping,' she thought as she slipped out the door and disappeared into the night. Aeris found the old road she had last traveled when she was escaping from the Shinra the last time she got caught. She ran down the road, and then she saw a small light in the distance...

Cloud's POV

Cloud, Cid, Barret, and Red X111 ran down the road, hoping to find Aeris. The only light they had to see with was the glowing light on the end of Red X111's tail. Suddenly, they saw a small figure in the distance, running towards them.

"Who is that?" he asked Barret. "Cid, Red X111? You guys have any ideas?"

Cid, who had the expert eye that he used so often for repairing machinery, squinted into the darkness and gasped. "Could it be?" he asked.

"...Aeris?" asked Cloud. They were closer now, and Cloud could see a small figure in pink running towards them. It got closer and closer until...

"AERIS!" shouted Cloud as he ran towards her. He could see her smiling and crying as she got closer to him. They collided, and he wrapped his arms around her and pressed her close to his body.

"Cloud..." she whispered. "You're back."

"Of course I am. And you're never going to be out of my sight again. I'm not going to lose you a third time."

"Cloud," she said.

"What?" he asked.

"I love you."

Cloud grinned at her as a couple of tears made their way down his cheeks. "I love you too, Aeris. Never forget that."

"How could I?" she teased. Then the others came running over. All except for the back up team, who were still back on the Highwind, of course.

"Aeris! You're back!" cried Barret, Cid, and Red X111.

"Yeah," was all she could say.

"Well, what the hell are we standing here for?" shouted Cid. "Let's 'move out,' as Spike puts it, and go back to Midgar."

"Your mother will be happy to know we've found you," said Cloud.

"You told her?" asked Aeris.

"Of course. She is your mother," said Cloud.

"True. Well then, thanks."

They all headed back to the Highwind where they met up with the back up team, and there was another small reunion. Then they flew back to Midgar, and Aeris and Cloud went to see Aeris' mother, who was overjoyed, of course, to see her daughter back safe and sound.

Now the only thing that remained was a wedding to plan...


	6. Default Chapter Title

It was finally happening, Cloud thought to himself, as he sat on his bed with Barret and Cid cracking jokes next to him. I'm getting married to the woman who I truly love. I'll never be single again. But I'll have a beautiful wife and hopefully kids to come home to everyday after work. Cloud was suddenly broken out of his thoughts as Barret clapped him on the shoulder with one large hand.

"Cloud? You still with us? You missed my golfer joke!" he complained.

"Oh. Sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?" prompted Cid.

"Stuff. About how I'm the first of AVALANCHE to marry, how I'll never be single again-"

"You could divorce Aeris, you know," interrupted Barret. Cloud just gave him a look. Barret understood. "Oh. Not gonna happen, eh?"

"What do you think?"

"Geez, all right, take it easy. But, I need to ask one thing before the wedding starts."

"What is it?" asked Cloud.

"Can I have Tifa?"

Cloud sighed, got up, did Omnislash on him, and sat back down again.

"OWWWW!!" said Barret, before casting Cure on himself, which magically restored his slashed tuxedo to its former state.

"Serves you right, " said Cid.

"You wanna be next, Cid?" asked Cloud with a slight grin.

"No. We'll go. Come on, Barret, let's go get changed. The wedding starts in a half hour."

So they left, leaving Cloud to get changed into his tux. But Cloud just sat there, thinking again. From downstairs, by special request of Tifa and Yuffie, a song was being played. One which Tifa knew Cloud had sung to Aeris one night when he got drunk on one of their dates, and he had started singing. Aeris had come back to the Seventh Heaven laughing. Cloud had had the crap kicked out of him by Barret.

Finally Cloud was dressed in his tux, and the bell sounding from downstairs signaled that the wedding was to start in fifteen minutes. He sighed loudly, then exited his room and made his way downstairs to the rom where the actual wedding was to take place, and he collapsed into a pew. Meanwhile, upstairs in another one of the bedrooms...

"Aeris, will you stand still?" asked an impatient Yuffie, who was at Aeris's feet clipping a few stray strands of thread on the wedding gown. "There, done!" she pronounced gladly.

"Thank you, Yuffie. And you too, Tifa," she said, turning to thank the young woman.

"It's no problem," said Tifa.

"Well, I guess we'll meet you downstairs. Good luck, and congratulations," said Yuffie.

"I don't know how to thank you guys," sniffed Aeris, almost crying by now.

"Just stay with Cloud, and be happy," said Tifa.

"I will," said Aeris.

"Good." Then Yuffie and Tifa left, leaving Aeris alone in her room. Aeris looked around her room one last time before she left the room and began to walk down the long stairs that would lead her to the room where the wedding would take place. On the way down, a song she had listened to right after Cloud had proposed to her, and she'd accepted. Aeris had holed herself up in her room, and listened to every mushy romantic song she had on CD. But this one was one of her favourites. As she traveled down the velvet covered stairs, she started to hum along.

Aeris finally reached the bottom of the stairs, and she walked up the entrance of the hall, where the wedding would take place, and found Vincent waiting for her. Since she had no father, he would be the one to give her away.

"Thank you, Vincent," she said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For being here, and for giving me away to Cloud. I really appreciate it."

"Well then, you're welcome. There's no one else who I'd rather give away to a lucky guy like Cloud."

Just the, another bell rang, and Tifa, and Yuffie, her bridesmaids, began to move forward. The flower girl was Barret's daughter, Marlene, and the ring bearer, Yuffie's nephew, followed them. That left Aeris. She paused, then, with Vincent's arm looped through hers, she made her way slowly down the aisle.

She could feel the eyes of everyone in the church on her. She looked up ahead, and nearly gasped when she saw Cloud. He looked so handsome, she almost didn't recognize him. His hair wasn't gelled up. On the contrary. It was slicked back, and he was wearing a tux like every other man at the wedding. They reached the altar, and Vincent moved off to the side, where he stood with Cait Sith, Red X111, Cid, and Barret. Aeris turned her face to her soon-to-be husband, and waited for the priest to begin.

Cloud's POV

He was getting bored standing there, and he was relieved when the bell rang, signaling the start of the procession. First came Tifa and Yuffie, and once they reached the altar, they moved off to one side. Then came Marlene, and Yuffie's nephew. Finally, Aeris, with Vincent on her arm, came down the aisle. They reached the altar, and he moved off to stand with Cait Sith and the other men, who had been standing by the altar for as long as he had.

Aeris looked absolutely gorgeous, and he almost drooled when he saw her. Her brown hair had been pinned back and up, and her jade eyes were shining with happiness. She had a small smile on her face, which only grew bigger when she moved to stand beside him. She then turned to face the front, and he copied her, as they waited for the priest to start.

They recited their vows and stood happily together.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, Cloud," said the priest.

And so he did. He pressed Aeris to him, bent his head, and kissed her straight on the lips. He deepened the kiss, and kissed his wife with all of the passion he had in his heart for her. She kissed him back. Cheers and hoots from the audience mad them break apart, and they both gasped for breath.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Cloud Strife!" The whole crowd cheered as the newlyweds ran down the aisle.

An hour later...

Cloud and Aeris cheered along with everyone else as the band finished a slow song. Then Cloud grabbed Aeris' arm.

"Let's go," he whispered to her.

"Now?" she asked.

"Yeah. They won't miss us. Come on," he said, tugging her arms so she would follow him. They crept towards the stairs, and they would have made it unseen if Cid hadn't spotted them. Unfortunately, he was also drunk. This was quite evident, as he was leaning heavily on Barret, who also didn't look sober.

"Hey, aren't you going to stay with us, Cloud?" he shouted out.

"Nah. Me and my wife are going to retire, thank you. But everyone is welcome to stay," he called back. There were more hoots and jers from the crowd as Cloud pulled Aeris up the stairs and out of sight.

They reached their room, and Cloud scooped her up in his arms as he kicked the door open and placed her on the bed. Then he shut the door behind him, and unfortunately the walls were thin, as were the floors and ceilings, and everyone in the reception could hear what was going on...But they just laughed and continued talking.

Upstairs...

Cloud lay in bed with Aeris in his arms. He sighed, then nuzzled her neck. Aeris giggled.

"I love you, Aeris," said Cloud in a whisper.

"I love you too, Cloud," she said back.

They kissed again, and everything goes black...as there was a power outage, and all the lights went out...

THE END


End file.
